Hello, all.

When I started writing this, I thought it would be a short little piece, but it's grown into quite the investment. So here's the first part, just to give you all a taste. Please give me some feedback as to whether or not I should continue.

As per the usual, I own nothing (basically literally). BioWare is the overlord. They are so generous to allow me to borrow their lovely creations for my little ideas.

Enjoy :)

The last of their foes fell, engulfed in flame. Dorian chuckled and looked over at their fearless leader just in time to see her fall. His easy smile faltered as he rushed to her side, easing himself underneath her head before it hit the ground. Cullen. The name resonated in his mind as he cradled the Inquisitor's head in his lap. The Commander would be distraught when he heard. Dorian pushed these thoughts from his head as he looked down at his friend's pale face, gently smoothing a hand over her forehead.

"What's wrong with you now?" His voice held the same amount of sass, though its tone was too soft to lend any seriousness to his question.

"I'm nauseous and I just got stabbed." She miraculously smiled up at him, a small chuckle falling from her lips. He switched his attention to her ribs where trickles of crimson were squeezing their way through her fingers. He felt cold. He dealt in death, bringing those that had passed beyond life back to serve him in battle. But he'd much prefer to have her here, alive, fighting by his side than simply the shade of her power to aid him only once more before she slipped through his grasp for good.

"Walk it off!" His sarcasm came to his defense, shielding him from the panic steadily consuming his mind, making it freeze. Her smile swiftly turned to a grimace and she closed her eyes. Her face seemed to grow paler. Dorian bit his lip to prevent curses from spewing out of him, instead looking up for their companions. Iron Bull was busy trying to remove his axe from the skull of one of the fallen, he didn't seem to have noticed their injured leader. Cassandra had drifted over though. Her face was almost as pale as the Inquisitor's. It was the first time that Dorian had seen Cassandra look that way. She was the one who always had a plan of action, the one who was certain of the next step, always. Yet here she was, looking more lost than Dorian could've ever thought possible. They made eye contact and he mouthed, what do we do? He made his best attempt not to disturb the injured woman in his lap. Cassandra just looked at him blankly. It almost would've been better if she had screamed and yelled and burst into tears. He shifted unconsciously as he racked his brain for something to do. They'd run out of any kind of supplies just hours ago, after fighting that dragon. They were on their way back to the nearest camp to restock when they'd been attacked. His brain stalled out at that moment, Cuellen's face, distorted in worry, now occupied his mind. The Inquisitor groaned in his lap and he jumped, eliciting a whine as she twitched to the side, moving her wound away from the ground. Cassandra coughed, a strangled sound that drew Dorian's attention.

"We'd better move her." The low rumble of the Qunari's voice behind him almost made Dorian jump again, but the Inquisitor's recent protest to movement was still fresh in his mind. Bull crouched down, getting his face close to the injured woman's.

"Hey, boss?" Her eyes cracked open and she looked at him silently, mouth hanging open slightly.

"Boss, I'm gonna have to move you. It's gonna hurt. But I'm sure you're tough enough to handle it." The Inquisitor's eyes were drifting closed. "Hey!" The hulking man shoved her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open, her expression less than displeased. Bull smiled.

"That's my Inquisitor. Now, are you ready?" When the she didn't respond, Bull's countenance turned severe. "Look, if you want to bleed out here, that's fine." Dorian's heart almost stopped. The Qunari was harsh, but surely he wasn't serious. "If you'd rather live to fight again, then I suggest that you respond to my question." There was a long, tense silence, it seemed, before she shook her head to show that she was ready.

"Good." Bull leaned closer and pried her hands from her side, examining the wound. Dorian looked pointedly away, though his fingers combed through the Inquisitor's hair, as much to calm her as to keep himself calm. The larger man murmured a few things to himself then sat back.

"Hey, Vint," Dorian took a moment to respond, he wasn't used to the term. Bull's eye was calculating as he looked at the mage. "I'm gonna need your help getting her on my back."

"What?" Dorian spluttered, shaking his head slightly. Bull continued without answering his question.

"I need to be able to carry her without disturbing her injury too much. The best way I can figure to do that is to have her hang on to my back. That way she won't be bent around her wound or anything." Dorian didn't say anything. "Are you with me, Vint?" Bull's expression hadn't changed.

"But I-I," Dorian faltered, looking down at the face in his lap. Her eyes were drifting closed again, her gaze unfocused. Bull had noticed too and poked her shoulder hard. She started and winced, but her eyes still looked tired. Bull cleared his throat. Dorian looked up, his face looking strained.

"I'm no good at this. I-I can't… I don't—"

"Listen," The Qunari shifted his weight. "Cassandra over there is no state to help anyone." Dorian snuck a look and found Cassandra in the same position as he had last seen her, paralyzed. "So, you're my only other help here. Think up some magic spell if you can't muster the physical strength to ease her up." Dorian knew that he was being goaded; he was being antagonized to produce a reaction that would motivate him to help. But he was still irritated. He didn't use magic for such trivial things, as Bull seemed to imply. So, he sat up straighter, easing his hands underneath the Inquisitor's shoulders, beneath her armpits for leverage.

"That's more like it." There was a smug tone to Bull's voice that Dorian didn't appreciate, but he focused on pulling the Inquisitor into a sitting position before pushing her up so that she could loop her arms around the Qunari's neck. She only let out a small whimper as Dorian hefted her up, her legs scrabbling slightly against the dirt in an effort to help him. Iron Bull took hold of her legs and pulled them around his waist, securing her hold on his back. He stood, adjusting her slightly.

"Now, Inquisitor, I need you to stay with me while we head back to the keep. We're going to play a game my people use in training. I will pick a letter from the alphabet and you will tell me all the things you see whose names begin with that letter. For example, the letter g…" Dorian stopped listening, having caught a glimpse of the Inquisitor's back as she was carried away. There was an angry red hold in her side, much bigger than he had initially thought. He could see where the daggers of her attacker had ripped through her robes and tangled in her flesh. They would need to get her to that keep soon, it was the only place equipped to take care of her.

"Come, Cassandra," He motioned to her, prompting her to begin walking. "We don't want him to leave us out here."